ALGARVE CAR HIRE - News

Alvor Foundation

The city of Alvor was founded according to some historians by Captain cartaginez Annibal, 436 years before Christ and he gave it the name of Port of Annibal. Later under the roman occupation its name changed to Ipsa. Ipsa is shown in the earliest known map of the Iberian Peninsule, a work of the geographer Artemidorus of Ephesus.When the Moors ruled, they changed the name to Al-Bur.

In 1189 it was conquered by King Sancho I, with the help of the Crusaders. They were in their way to the Holly Land, and before continue their journey, they helped the King of Portugal, to expulse the arabian people. The big motivation for this colaboration was the sacking of all the villages they pass, the unique opportunity for the crusaders to take all arabian richness they could find, having a holly pretext. After pillaging they left behind them destruction.

In his diary The Crusade of Frederick Barbarossa is reported to his visit to Portugal:" The ships from our empire and from Flanders had arrived some four or five weeks before us, and on their voyage beyond Lisbon they had stormed a fortified town named Alvor, suject to the lordship of Silves, and we were reliably informed that, sparing neither age nor sex they slew some 5,600 people. ".

Alvor was considered the strongest military base, at the maritime coast of Chenchir ( the arabian name for algarve coast ).

D. Pero Paio Correa was the hero of the liberation of Alvor, and other cities. He was grand master of the order of S. Jacques.Alvor was bestowed by King Peter to D. Francisco de Tavora.In times past, the Port of Alvor was important for its salt mines( Marinhas ), The King JoaoII shortly after from Monchique, where he was treated, stopped in Alvor in the house of his friend D. Alvaro de Athayde, where he died. D. Alvaro de Ataide was the father of D. Catherine de Athayde, whom Vasco da Gama, the great discoverer and admiral, came to marry.It was also in Alvor that E-lRei D. João wrote his will and left power to his brother and cousin, D. Manuel, since the only son he has, D. George was a bastard. It was this king who against Jew's religion.One of several illustrious families of Alvor was Francis of Assis and Tavora, son of Bernard of Tavora, II Count of Alvor. He was Viceroy of India. He married his cousin Leonor Thomasia de Tavora, beautiful woman, powerful and intelligent, real threat to the ambition of the Marquis of Pombal.From this marriage was born among others, Luis Bernardo de Tavora, who married his aunt Teresa of Tavora only a few months older.D. Teresa de Tavora whose marriage to his nephew by marriage was purely financial interests, lived a loving relationship with King Jose. This relationship was a pretext for the Marquis de Pombal to engineer one of the most abominable intrigues as always: The alleged attack on the King Jose.It is said that was the Marquis of Pombal, who was behind this farce.Because of the relationship between the king and Teresa de Tavora, all the familly and friends, was charged with conspiracy, without trial . An authentic carnage that started around 9 am, to end at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. On January 12, 1759.D. Eleanor was 59 years old. So sadistic, the executioner, on behalf of Sebastiao Jose de Carvalho e Mello, also made her go through mental torture, showing her how their children would be tortured.D. Leonor of Tavora was known by the dignified way that she bowed her head and offered to the blade that beheaded. Her silence spoke loudly. D. Leonor of Tavora had a granddaughter who despite not having been beheaded was sent to a convent with only eight years old.This girl would become the famous poet D. Lorena Leonor de Almeida who was to have the same strong character of her grandmother.

Alvor was in many ways linkded to people who were related to great moments of portuguese history.

It was there, in recent days, that was made the Treaty of Alvor, signed in January 1975 between Portugal and the three groups of Angola and providing for a transitional government. The failure of this agreement results in a violent civil war.

In our days, Alvor is a lovely city by the sea, were portuguese and tourists enjoy together the beautys she can offer. Like before, they did, with the arabian people, and others settlers, before them.